Drugs for Erectile Dysfunction May Improve Prostate Problems
Drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction may be helpful in relieving some of the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
This was reported from a study conducted by Claus G. Roehrborn, MD, with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and colleagues. About 1,058 men, who had urinary symptoms of BPH for six months, with or without erectile dysfunction, participated in the study. The study results are published in, The Journal of Urology.
Some of the common symptoms of BPH included:
- Urge to urinate frequently and urgently
- Urge to urinate more at night
- Straining sensation while urinating
- Urge to urinate again, even after relieving the bladder
- Weak urine stream
The authors reported that these symptoms increase with age and are seen in more than 50% of men above the age of 50-years-old. For the first four weeks of the study, all of the participants were given a placebo pill. After this treatment, they were divided into five groups. Four groups received different doses of the drug tadalafil — 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, or 20 mg. The last group was given a placebo.
The urinary symptoms of the prostate problem of all the participants were scored before and after the study. Men who were given tadalafil showed a significant improvement in the symptoms by four weeks.
According to the The National Kidney and Urological Disease Information Clearinghouse, enlarged prostate gland is the most common prostate problem in men above the age of 50-years-old. About 50% of the men between the ages of 51-years-old and 60-years-old has BPH, while 90% of the men above 81-years-old have this condition.
